Our children are more than the sum of their school grades. Behind every exam result lies a whole person with incalculable, untapped potential and myriad facets and capacities just waiting to be discovered. What a child shows she knows in school is not an accurate measure of her lifelong learning ability or her human potential. Schools are for growing minds but nothing stifles growth like ranking or grading. It’s not how smart you are that counts, it is how you are smart. Proficiency in the 3Rs of reading, remembering and regurgitating factual knowledge may get you an A*, but to thrive in adulthood you need deep-down-things that aren’t so easily measured – tacit knowledge gained through our senses, observations and social interactions. The good news is, we have all we need from an early age; and we need to redesign our schools so that our children can pursue their natural inclinations and in so doing find their self-worth. There is nothing in adulthood that an adventurous, untrammelled childhood cannot prepare you for. Andrew has spent twenty years teaching, leading and authoring in education. Still a headteacher, he continues to counter the calls for short-term, measurable outcomes with a cry for long-term gains in creativity, aspirational thinking and positive well-being. He is a champion of adventurous childhood and believes that the most secure adulthood is built on a childhood free from the pressures to prepare for being a grown up.
Shedding light on the ‘invisible curriculum’ in schools has been Andrew’s obsession throughout his teaching and writing career. He holds a BA (Hons) QTS and an MA in Creativity in Education. Currently studying for an Ed.D, he is focused on demonstrating how the ethos and culture of a school has the greatest impact on positive attitudes and behaviours for life. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx